Friday, May 28, 2010

I wanted to share with you a dozen things that personally perk up my day to day life. I’m sure you can all relate to a few of these little pleasures. Some of them are things that come unexpectedly, some are planned well in advanced, some are rare and thus even more precious and some are just life’s fabulous everyday simplicities that make you happy to be alive. Here’s are the top twelve things that are making me smile for this month of May:

1. Free samples at the grocery store of the thing you wanted to try but were too scared to buy. Score!

2. Going to bed and not setting an alarm. Zzzzzzzz

3. Snagging the last pair of shoes in your size.

4. Guilty pleasure TV shows…. I bet you’re thinking of one right now. Don’t feel bad, we all do it.

5. A radio station that plays a bunch of good songs in a row saving you from searching other stations. (I also enjoy singing along to said songs even when I don’t know all the words.)

6. Eating the marshmallows out of childish cereals (even more silly/fun when you don’t have children…. like myself.)

7. Watching artists take a spill during a performance. Evil I know but so satisfying to see they’re human and fall on their butts like the rest of us.

8. Getting in the car to find your mate already refuelled it for you. I love that man.

9. Catching a rerun of the show you missed but were dying to see while channel surfing.

10. When all the dishes are done for the day. Time to relax those pruny fingers.

11. Your mate telling you, “you’re worth it,” for any reason at all. Doesn’t it make you feel extra special? *sigh* I really love that man.

12. A pet sleeping so soundly it makes you yawn. Yes, that’s my bebe snoozing away and making my eyelids heavy. However, I don’t look nearly as cute as this when I sleep…

I would also love to know some of yours favourite things. What little things make all the difference for you? A specific smell? A soothing sound? Maybe something as simple as your favourite flavour ice cream? I want to hear all about your personal perks that make your day a little sunnier and keep watching for more of mine as they come.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Monday, May 24, 2010

First impressions are important and the first impression your home gets to make starts in the foyer. I love a good entrance and tend to compile my favs in a special folder... because I'm super cool like that. Here are some of the entrances that have me singing, "and she's buying a stairway to heaven."

Oh the grandeur of it all! Like something straight out of a fairytale. Cinderella should be rushing down the steps to try on the glass slipper any second now.

One of Nic Cage's homes that was up for sale. This entire home was very gothic and lavish. The entrance is probably the most subdued part of the whole home. Some rooms reminded me of a Russian castle.

I love the bench against the cool blue colour in this Sarah Richardson design. She keeps her designs fairly crisp and clean for the most part-pretty but not fancy schmancy.

Speaking of fancy schmancy, I'm not 100% sure if a foyer can "vogue" but I think this one just did. "Strike a pose, there's nothing to it."

It's a little hard to tell but if you look closely you can see a waterfall wall coming down the side of the stairs. Unnecessary? Maybe.... Cool? Heck yes!

A simple yet totally stunning family home. My first thoughts were coming down stairs Sunday morning in your robe to the smell of coffee and opening the door to collect the paper. I usually devote a lot of time to picturing such things; I can't wait to have a house!

Iron wrought at it's finest. This looks like the type of home where you would be greeted at the door by a droll butler named Cadbury.

"Hello, is it me you're looking for?" (In case you lost, track that's three cheesy song references in regards to foyers. I think Lionel Richie's was the best myself.)

Lastly, contemporary and classic. Cant go wrong! This is a monochromatic scheme that delivers on class without feeling stuffy and unwelcoming.

So what's your entrance look like? Do your stairs inspire out of date songs to be sung in their honor? Does it make a statement or is it more a place to just kick off your shoes and head for the fridge?

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

If you’ve seen this movie you probably don’t remember much of the plot or being overly impressed with the acting but you do remember the house. That beautiful, contemporary, lake side masterpiece that makes you wonder if such beautiful homes really do exist or the filming location was heaven itself. For those of you who have not seen the movie let me save you the trouble and show you the best parts right here at Reckless Bliss. First let me give you a quick recap of the premise. A teenage girl named Jill is forced to babysit for the Mandrakis family as punishment for going over her cell phone minutes. She begins getting creepy phone calls and phones the police to trace the number. I think we all know how that ends-if you don’t and don’t want to know then do not keep reading because the cat has been released from the bag *meow* I think the movie “Black Christmas” (the original Bob Clark one not the remake) does a better job of telling the same basic story minus the fab house. Let’s get back to the reason we’re here, prepare to be impressed:

The entire movie was shot in California. The cabin feel, the seclusion and the peaceful views had me at hello. Then the babysitter went in the house…

Of course this mansion has high end security with gates and alarms. Here’s door number one to get through.

You drive through the gates to the garage.

This is just door number two to walk through on the way to the “real” door.

Right after you walk through door number two you’re on a long gorgeous deck with a BBQ. And your view on the deck? Take a gander below.

*sigh*

Finally, the front door. Phew! I’m tired!

The front of the Mandrakis’ house was built at an unused reservoir, while the interior was in a studio. It doesn’t really exist but few perfect things do.

When you walk in the front door you are in a narrow hall

At the end of the hall you see these beautiful shots.

It may seem strange to have a loft in the middle of your living room but….

when you’ve got these views! All you want to do is sit and stare in awe.

Oh how I would love a book and some tea in this living room.

A shot of the staircase and the luckiest people in the (fictional) world.

Mrs. Mandrakis gives Jill a tour of the house which is probably the best part of the whole movie. This is the hall to the kitchen.

No your eyes are not playing tricks on you. There is an aviary smack dab in the middle of the house.

Birdies and fishies co-mingle in the aviary.

I’ve never seen this in a real house but if it exists and I happen to get mega rich then it will be mine. It could happen….

Every room in the house was equipped with sensory lights that know when you enter and leave a room and thus turns on and off accordingly. You see it first in the kitchen.

Of course there’s a guest house! The Mandrakis’ oldest son lives in the house when he’s home from school.

In preparation for her role as Jill (Camilla Belle) had to do two months of weight training and learning how to run.

The house at dusk.

*Spoiler alert* What would this classic urban legend be without the famous line, “Jill, we've just traced the call... its coming from inside the house!”

Everything is controlled by remotes and Jill has a tough time figuring it out.

The master bedroom. You think when you roll over in bed all the lights turn back on from the movement? I doubt it.

The master bath is on the other side of the bed wall. Here you can see Jill doing what all teenage babysitters have done at one time or another. The official “once-over babysitter snoop.” I would have a hard time not snooping when everything is so decadent and lavish.

This is the only real shot of the dining room. Love the fixture.

After Jill is asked if she’s (cue creepy voice) “checked the children,” by her heavy breathing caller you get a peak at the kiddies room. I don’t quite understand why in this elaborate palace, the two kids share a room but maybe some kids enjoy it?

This is the quick look you get at the inside of the guest house.

And lastly a look at the live in maid Rosa’s bedroom.

See any of these fright night movies for fabulous homes in unfortunate circumstances:

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"I believe in manicures. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing alot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." -Ms Audrey Hepburn

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